Michelin-starred chef makes burgers for cats with pet food — but humans find them surprisingly tasty

"Cats deserve real food made from real meat," shares Michelin chef behind viral gourmet cat burgers.

PUBLISHED 9 HOURS AGO

(L) A woman making burgers. (R) A cat eating cat food from a plate. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | (L) Justin Paget, (R) Westend61)

Food trends often push boundaries, but some creations are so unusual that they leave people stunned and curious. Mixing fine dining with a twist of pet-inspired creativity, one new dish is grabbing headlines and taste buds. As reported by the New York Post, a Michelin-starred chef has teamed up with a cat food brand to craft something truly unexpected — a gourmet burger made from ingredients typically found in your cat’s bowl.

A woman making burgers. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Light Field Studios)

Renowned Gordon Ramsay-trained chef and animal lover Alice Ostan partnered with London-based cat food company KatKin to bring the concept to life. She decided to go beyond the boring pet foods, taking a mix of meats usually reserved for feline meals, shaping it into a patty, and coating it in crispy panko breadcrumbs. Then came the toppings: creamy ricotta, parmesan cheese, lemon spread, and KatKin’s smoky bacon jam. To complete the burger look, the patty was placed on a ciabatta bun with sun-dried tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber, and a light layer of hot honey.

Woman giving cat food from a can to her pet cat. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | CasarsaGuru)

Despite what you might expect, the burger earned high praise from lucky taste testers. Some said they would never have guessed it was made from cat food if they had not been told. “It tastes just like the meat I buy for myself,” one fan said, while another described it as “absolutely delicious.” Ostan’s take on pet-inspired cuisine may sound bizarre, but it shows that quality ingredients, even those meant for animals, can surprise the palate.

A cat eating cat food from a plate. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | mister Big)

While there is no word yet on whether this cat food burger will hit restaurant menus, it fits in with a growing trend of exclusive and unusual burger offerings in New York. From the Crane Club’s limited nightly burgers in West Chelsea to Midtown’s Caviar Russe and Greenwich Village’s Society Cafe, chefs are pushing the limits of burger creativity. “It’s truly a labor of love,” said Executive Chef Nicholas McCann of Society Cafe, which only serves a handful of gourmet burgers each night. In a YouTube video, a fresh cat food company, KatKin, summed up their goal, “The Cluck Burger, made from our 100% fresh chicken cat food, is a delicious food-first, unlike the world has seen (or tasted) before. Why? Because we believe cats deserve real food made from real meat. Nothing we wouldn't eat ourselves.”

Whether it's a gourmet burger or a freshly-baked oats and cherry cake, pet parents don't mind splurging on their furry babies. Even those who can't afford a single meal for themselves believe in not starving their pets. In one such heartwarming moment captured in a TikTok video, a homeless man refused to eat a donated slice of pizza so his pooch could enjoy it instead. The Internet is full of such little and big sacrifices people make for their beloved pets, restoring hope in humanity.